Italian white wines shouldn't be overlooked

Remember when "white wine" meant chardonnay? The Italians must have thought we were nuts.

Then again, maybe they still do. Today, "Italian white wine" typically means pinot grigio. Yet the dominance of this single wine in our consumer perception obscures the wonderful variety of whites produced throughout Italy. No other wine-producing nation has such a cornucopia of wines it can call its own.

With wines such as Arneis, Cortese, Erbaluce, falanghina, Fiano, Friulano, Garganega, grechetto, ribolla gialla, verdicchio and vermentino, among others, it is possible to drink one's way up and down the boot and rarely repeat a grape variety or flavor.

Try several types of Italian whites, however, and you may notice a stylistic similarity. They tend to be crisp and dry, with medium body and moderate alcohol, and often feature an appealing nuttiness on the finish, a subtle taste of hazelnuts or almonds. Their acidity helps them pair well with seafood dishes, especially shellfish.

So why aren't these wines more popular? One reason might be that Italy is a red-wine country, with a similarly diverse array of red grapes: barbera, nebbiolo, sangiovese, aglianico, valpolicello and primitivo leading the way. Italians make a lot more red wine than white, and they value reds higher.

When I visited Tuscany several years ago, I noticed that winemakers seemed dismissive of their white wines. It was almost as though they looked around at the end of a long day in the winery and said, "You know, we oughta make something for before dinner." Their lack of enthusiasm showed in the wine. The main Tuscan white, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, tends to resemble pinot grigio (although vermentino from the Maremma or Bolgheri along the Tuscan coast can be quite nice).

Another reason could be unfamiliarity. We feel comfortable with chardonnay and pinot grigio, but less so with varieties we don't know or can't pronounce. Avid wine lovers, however, might seek out unfamiliar varieties such as grechetto or Greco di Tufo, especially because the names give a clue to their ancient origins as vines brought to Italy by the Greeks in the pre-Roman era, when Bacchus was still called Dionysus. And who can resist pecorino, even if it doesn't taste like cheese?

But wait, there's more. Wherever wines are undervalued, label confusion must come into play. Some Italian wines are labeled according to their grape variety, while others take the name of their region. Some do both. Gavi, for instance, is a prominent and delicious white from Piemonte in northwestern Italy, named for the town of Gavi but made from the cortese grape. Similarly, Soave is a region near Venice that produces a famous white blend based on garganega.

Yet Fiano, falanghina, verdicchio, vernaccia, vermentino, greco and grechetto are grape names and labeled as such, often with their region appended. And Friulano is a new name, shortened from tocai friuliano (tocai of Friuli, in northeastern Italy) after the European Union ordered the name changed to avoid confusion with the tokaji wines of Hungary. It's all rather maddening, reinforcing the misconception that we must be experts to appreciate wine.

There should be no confusion, however, about erbaluce (air-bah-LOO-chay). This rare white grape from the Caluso region of northern Piemonte produces a wine that has been a local favorite for years: the Orsolani "La Rustia," imported by Michael R. Downey Selections. This wine (the 2008 is in stock) is beautiful, with a great combination of fruit and forest flavors, mouth-filling body and palate-teasing acidity. It is delightful by itself but plays well with seafood, especially anything with a citrus component.

So don't ignore Italian white wines, even if they appear unfamiliar or intimidating. They are fun to explore, and they offer many rewards for adventurous palates.

McIntyre can be reached at food@washpost.com.